Danubius International Conferences, 9th International Conference The Danube - Axis of European Identity

Pisciculture Practicing in the Towns from Moldova Country (XVI-XVII Centuries)

Nicolae Dudnicenco
Last modified: 2019-06-17

Abstract

In the urban economy of the Moldova Country an important place was the practice of piscisculture. The development of this traditional branch in the urban territories of the Moldova country in the XVI-AVII centurirs was driven by several factors: the existence of a large number of aquatic resources rich in fish on the territories of the towns; the location of the towns on or near the banks of the rivers, on the Black Sea (port cities); this source of income for both the inhabitants and the state status, due to the possibility of selling fish both on the domestic and external markets. Pisciculture were practiced in such urban localities as: Galati, Orhei, Suceava, Baia, Iasi, Targul Frumos, Cotnari, Roman, Hotin and others. The demand for fish in the XVI-XVII centuries led this activity not only in natural water basins (rivers, lakes, puddlee), but also in artificially created pools (ponds). Due to the fact that the ponds in the urban cities represented buildings with a valuable economic potential, the townspeople were trying to obtain the property in various ways, most of the time various litigations arose between the townspeople as well as between the townspeople and the monasteries.